5 Steps to Washing Your Hands Properly Every Time

Washing our hands is something we all do several times a day – after bathroom breaks, to stop the spread of colds and flus and to generally stay healthy. The problem is, many don’t know how to do it the right way. So how do you wash your hands properly, and how long should you wash your hands? Use our five steps to make sure you’re getting it right every time.

How to wash your hands properly using 5 easy to remember steps

Wet your hands by running them under water – it doesn’t matter if the water is warm or cold, as long as the water is clean.

Lather up liquid or bar soap between your hands, applying the lather underneath your nails, between your fingers and to the backs of your hands too.

Scrub your hands. How long should you wash your hands by scrubbing? 20 seconds at a minimum, interlacing your fingers and rubbing the backs of your hands and fingertips into the other palm to make sure all surface areas are cleaned.

Rinse your hands under clean running water of any temperature.

Dry your hands thoroughly using a powered hand dryer or a single-use paper towel. You may also wish to additionally apply hand sanitiser, rubbing this thoroughly into your hands to apply to all areas.

How often should you wash your hands?

Hand washing helps to remove germs and grime from your hands that can spread dirt, disease or contaminants. You should be thoroughly washing your hands using the steps above before and after preparing food, after using the bathroom, after coming into contact with animals and if your hands are visibly dirty. Good hand hygiene will be particularly important if you are recovering from a virus or flu or have been sneezing or blowing your nose. Certain livelihoods also require the highest attention to hand hygiene to stop the spread of dirt and bacteria: for example, if you prepare food for a living, or if you’re working in a hospital or nursing home.

How long are you supposed to wash your hands for?

Far too many people run their hands underneath a tap for just a few seconds, thinking that that’s all is needed to clean their hands. In actual fact, it should take anything from 30 seconds or more to properly wash your hands from the first rinse to making sure they’re completely dry. By creating a good lather and friction on all surfaces of your hands, you can be confident they’ll be clean and hygienic. If you are searching for the right commercial hand dryers for your bathrooms, browse our full Mediclinics range or speak with the team today.